Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Data Analysis - Students input the data into Excel and individual measurement, etc.? Finally, discuss
then reduce the pace and compass data to UTM locations ways in which you could test your hypotheses as
using simple trigonometry (Figure 2). This gives to which errors are most significant. Could you
students an appreciation for data reduction as they need set up a method of determining the uncertainty of
to construct simple formulae and input them into Excel. your pace-and-compass measures as we did for
We next have the students run some simple statistics the GPS measurements? Much of your grade is
on the repeat GPS measurements including calculating determined by the thoughtfulness of your
the 95% confidence of the sample to determine the discussion.
precision of the GPS measurements. Students generally
think the GPS unit is the "correct" measurement of the How well does this exercise work? - We have found
location because they can see an exact number in the this is an excellent way to expose students to data
digital read out, and thus they interpret this as the analysis, reduction, and GIS while learning to use some
precision of the unit. This analysis shows them that there basic field instruments. It is equally important for us to
is indeed uncertainty in the measurements, and gives teach these skills to potential geoscientists and to liberal
them an objective measure of this uncertainty that they arts students. Many students feel overwhelmed with the
can use later in their evaluation of the results. computer work at first, but learn that they are fully
Students next open an ArcMap GIS project to load capable of doing the work with some assistance. In their
their data into the GIS. The project has a digital version of analysis students generally overestimate human
the orthorectified aerial photo of campus, and after some measurement error with the pace and compass, and miss
data manipulation the students are able to take their data the fact that local magnetic fields on campus probably
from Excel into ArcMap and display their survey stations play the largest role in inaccuracies of the pace and
on the orthophoto. compass measures. They also overestimate the quality of
the GPS measurements. This is one reason we added the
Data Interpretation - After analysis, students turn in a repeat measurements section of the exercise. This
printout of their orthophoto with survey points plotted demonstrates a method for setting up a determination of
and labeled (Figure 3). They also turn in a plot of the GPS the measurement uncertainty. Many students use this is
uncertainty analysis with 95% confidence displayed as a as a template for suggesting other ways they could set up
box around the mean of the sample. With these plots to test their hypotheses, for example: conducting repeat
students turn in a discussion detailing the quality of the measurements of a bearing at a particular location or
different location methods. An excerpt from the from varying distances along a line of bearing and then
assignment: calculating the 95% confidence of this sample.
State in meters how accurate the GPS and EXAMPLE 2: SEDIMENTOLOGY CHEMICAL
pace-and-compass points are relative to locating AND PHYSICAL WEATHERING
using the orthophoto. Discuss the possible PROCESSES
sources of error for each method of determining
location and what you believe is the greatest error The following 2 exercises are integrated as part of our
with each method (GPS vs. pace-and-compass). upper-level sedimentology and stratigraphy course. The
Also discuss the nature of these errors. That is, are objectives of these integrated field/lab exercises are to
the errors operator or instrument dependent, are explore weathering processes, to develop and conduct a
the errors cumulative or dependent on each
scientific experiment, and to understand science as a students travel to other sites to collect samples of
collaborative effort. Exercise A is focused on the effects of dolomite, fossiliferous and crystalline limestone, lithic
chemical weathering on various rock types, and Exercise pebble conglomerate and quartz arenite sandstone. For
B explores physical weathering processes, differential Exercise B, students travel to several streams, creeks and
weathering, and provenance. The students are charged rivers located throughout the region to collect sediments
with hypothesis development and testing. and observe each body of water.
Data Collection - The introduction to each experiment Experiment Design - Students are given guidance,
begins in the field. The class is taken to a granitic outcrop rather than instruction, in developing their scientific
in the Blue Ridge Mountains to observe, document, and research. Students work as a group to design the
discuss chemical and physical weathering processes. experiment based on very broad questions posed by the
Students collect specimens of fresh and weathered instructor. All students must be equally involved in the
granite, as well as sediments that have accumulated in experimental design and maintenance but may agree to
situ and down slope of the outcrop. For Exercise A, split up tasks once the project is underway. The group
q Check
q Credit card: MC/VISA (circle one) Number: ________________________
Signature: __________________________ Exp. Date __________________________
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